Boratynski Z., Brito J. C., Campos J. C., Cunha J. L., Granjon Laurent, Mappes T., Ndiaye A., Rzebik-Kowalska B., Seren N. (2017). Repeated evolution of camouflage in speciose desert rodents. Scientific Reports - Nature, 7, p. art. 3522 [10 p.]. ISSN 2045-2322.
Titre du document
Repeated evolution of camouflage in speciose desert rodents
Année de publication
2017
Auteurs
Boratynski Z., Brito J. C., Campos J. C., Cunha J. L., Granjon Laurent, Mappes T., Ndiaye A., Rzebik-Kowalska B., Seren N.
Source
Scientific Reports - Nature, 2017,
7, p. art. 3522 [10 p.] ISSN 2045-2322
There are two main factors explaining variation among species and the evolution of characters along phylogeny: adaptive change, including phenotypic and genetic responses to selective pressures, and phylogenetic inertia, or the resemblance between species due to shared phylogenetic history. Phenotype-habitat colour match, a classic Darwinian example of the evolution of camouflage (crypsis), offers the opportunity to test the importance of historical versus ecological mechanisms in shaping phenotypes among phylogenetically closely related taxa. To assess it, we investigated fur (phenotypic data) and habitat (remote sensing data) colourations, along with phylogenetic information, in the species-rich Gerbillus genus. Overall, we found a strong phenotype-habitat match, once the phylogenetic signal is taken into account. We found that camouflage has been acquired and lost repeatedly in the course of the evolutionary history of Gerbillus. Our results suggest that fur colouration and its covariation with habitat is a relatively labile character in mammals, potentially responding quickly to selection. Relatively unconstrained and substantial genetic basis, as well as structural and functional independence from other fitness traits of mammalian colouration might be responsible for that observation.
Plan de classement
Sciences du milieu [021]
;
Sciences du monde animal [080]
;
Télédétection [126]
Description Géographique
AFRIQUE DU NORD ; SAHARA ; SAHEL
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010070209]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010070209
